Land
Landscope: Small Saline grows quickly
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In this installment of our “Landscope” series, get a bird’s eye view of the growth of Saline, Mich., which has expanded from small farming town to an ever-growing community.
Land
Michigan proposes local control of backyard livestock
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An important debate over urban farming in Michigan continues today in Lansing. Officials from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and others will discuss proposed rule changes governing farm animals in developed, residential areas.
Land
Environmental, farm, animal rights groups clash over Indiana farm practices bill
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Legislators and environmentalists in Indiana are engaged in a full-on tug-of-war over a bill that would give legal support to farmers.
Land
New invention could ease apple harvest
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The machine replaces ladders and allows handpicking with vacuum tubes and foam-lined pails.
Land
Wisconsin court decides value of manure; insurer liable for ‘pollution’ claims
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Ironically the ruling that manure is not a contaminant or waste may mean that an insurer has to pay to fix or replace wells polluted by it.
Land
Report: Michigan needs more markets, fresh food access
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Although farmers markets seem to be popping up all the time, both urban and rural areas adequate access to healthy, natural food, according to a report by the Michigan Food Policy Council.
Land
As harvesting labor dwindles, farms turning to mechanization
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As workers at many farms and orchards become more and more scarce, the need for mechanical harvesting is rising.
Blueberries, cherries and grapes are all increasingly being harvested by machines rather than farm workers.
Echo
Tech-savvy Michigan farmers seek better Internet for profits and environmental protection
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Michigan farmers are increasingly turning to technology to track weather, map the precise spreading of fertilizers and seeds and follow prices for input and services.
Their only hurdle? Dealing with often shoddy broadband Internet service.
Echo
Farmers’ Almanac: Valid winter forecast or darts-at-a-dartboard?
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The Farmers’ Almanac has been around longer than all of us – and injected itself into countless pop culture references. But just how valid and trustworthy are its famed and oft-cited weather predictions?
Wildlife
Aphids are treat for Halloween beetles
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While homeowners may not be thrilled with Asian lady beetles, researchers are examining how the beetles control aphids, a pest that eats away at soybeans and other plants.